By Jolene Farley
With few farmers left in the fields it has been, by all accounts, an average year, according to Hills Cargill Farm Service Center Manager Brad Berkhof.
He said beans yielded around 45 bushels per acre, and the corn harvest in some areas of the county was good, while in other areas, hit by high wind and hail, it was not so good. Corn yielded, on average, 80 to 100 bushels per acre.
The dry August didn't have the feared effect on soybean yields, according to Berkhof, unless the beans were planted in lighter, sandier soil.
"Overall they (farmers) are probably pretty happy with their yields," said Berkhof.
Harvest started later this year, according to Berkhof. "It was generally slower," he said. "We got started later, about two to three weeks behind."
A late start in the spring and in some areas, bean replanting because of hail, contributed to the late harvest.
Goose-necked corn also slowed some farmers down. The downed corn was more difficult for combines to pick up, according to Berkhof.
Last year, most farmers were done with harvest by the third or fourth week in October. This year, harvest is about 90-percent complete in the first full week of November.
Berkhof estimates the busy period at Cargill is drawing to a close for another season. "From this point forward most farmers will probably hold onto their grain to wait for better prices." he said.
This week's prices for corn range from $1.50 to $1.60 per bushel and for beans $3.90 to $4 per bushel.
The amount of grain on the market contributes to the price farmers receive for their crop. This fall prices are "on the low side of average," according to Berkhof.
"The majority (of farmers) kept what they could at home," he said. "Every bin or storage facility was filled up hoping the price would get better."
The market could change for better or worse after the United States Department of Agriculture releases a final crop report on Friday, Berkhof said.
Most soybeans sold to Cargill this fall will be transported by truck to a soybean processing plant in Sioux City, Neb. Most corn will be transported by rail to various destinations.
Cargill in Hills handles 6 to 8 million bushels of grain per year, according to Berkhof.